The Secrets Of The Wellcome Trust

Like Londonist, the Wellcome Trust's headquarters at 215 Euston Road celebrated its tenth birthday in 2014. You've probably stood beneath this curving glass structure, known as the Gibbs Building — it perches over Euston Square station, a great crystal barn sandwiched by the associated Wellcome Collection and University College Hospital.

The Wellcome Trust is the world's second biggest medical research charity (after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Its HQ is suitably enormous. Staff have their own bar, gymnasium and choice of two canteens. You might have seen the kitchens on an episode of Celebrity Masterchef.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of some of the areas normally out-of-bounds (even to most staff) and were shown a secret passage, rooftop views and historic basement murals. Click through the image gallery above to find out some of its secrets.

Previously in our “some people invited us up onto their exciting roof” series.

In Wellcome Trust's atrium. The trees would not survive if genuine, but are half fake, half real. The trunks are genuine Ficus nitida, while the leaves are plastic.Thomas Heatherwick's multi-storey Bleigiessen sculpture, one of the largest in the UK, pendant from the Trust's roof.The Gibbs Building includes a time capsule.Looking down onto the roof of neighbouring Wellcome Collection. Note the old lightwell, no longer used.Looking south-east from the roof gantry.Looking down through the roof slats onto Euston Road.Spying on the staff canteen from a roof space. Lift mechanisms. Who knew they could be so colourful.The Wellcome Trust's plant room.A passage leads beneath Euston Road, connecting properties owned by the Trust. Note the hump in the middle, where the tunnel crosses over the Metropolitan Line.